Process of making phonograms.



P. 0. APPLEGATB.

. PROCESS OF MAKING PHONQGRAMS.

APPLICATION TILED MAR.29,1909.

939, 1 1 9, Patented Nov. 2 1909.

UNITED FRANK COLSEN APPLEGATE, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN'QR, BY ,MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ROYAL PHONE & PEONOGRAM (30., 013 BOSTON, MASSA CI-IUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

PROCESS OF MAKING EHONOGRAMS.

Application filed March 29, 190,9. Serial No. 488,431.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Finis n (Jonson Arranoirrn, a citizen or the United States, residing in the cit and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful. improvements in Processes of M: king Phonogranis, oi which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of cylindrical phonograins of. celluloid,

xylonite or like material, and my object is to cheaply produce such phonogranis from sheet material and in which the united edges of the sheet ruirapproxiinately circumferen'tially to eliminate the unpleasant knocking sound caused by a stylus striking a. longitudinal joint during reproduction. Hitherto such phonograrns have been made of seamless tubular material and the cost has been excessive. Neither can tubes be manufactured thin enough to give the desired flexibility. Unsuccessful attempts have been made to use sheet material with a lap joint but such joint struck the stylus squarely at rightangles to the line of motion and caused a clicking or knocking sound on each revolution of the record. 111 addition to this the lapping of the material made a double thickness at the joint which caused the record to run eccentrically with respect to, the stylus.

I attain my objects and obviate the (liticulties in the manner illustrated in the 3C1 conipanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a View of my improved phonogram on a mandrel; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View of the structure of F 1; 3 is a View of a backing for my improved phonograin; Fig. 4: is an end view of the structure of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a view of the structure 01": Fig. 3 With the facing ribbon secured thereto; Fig. 6 is an end v'ew of th structure of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a View, partly in section, of a modified form of my ll11- proved phonogram.

In making my improved phonograin a backing sheet 1 is Wrapped about a substantially cylindrical form with its edges and 3 either butting, or beveled and slightly lapping as shown in t. The edges may be united by the use of cement, or a solvent. may be used to soften then; and bind or Weld them. together. A facing ribbon l is then.

Specification of Letters Patent.

phouo Patented Nov. 2, 19%;.

wound onto the backing the surfaces to bejoined may be treated with a solvent or a cement so that the backing and facing Will be firmly united. My preferred material for the backing and facing is celluloid and I find that acetone softens this material so that it welds or binds together. 'As the acetone does not dry outquickly ample time is afiorded for the various operations. It is apparent that the edges of the facing strip 4: Will touch inthe form of a helical lineti running from end to end of the phonogram. The blank thus formed is then placed in a polished die and expanded therein under internal heat and pressure whereby the solvent is-driven oilt or the cement dried, the softened celluloid is driven into intimate contact with the polished die and when dry and hard has the high polish of the die. As the material is packed and Welded together along the helical joint a substantially smooth and even outer surface is produced. The sound 11CO1' may now be printed or impressed on the phonogram thus produced by any of the well known methods. It pre ferred the polishing die may be omitted and the record impressed directly on the newly formed blank.

As shown in '2' the backing is in the form of a ribbon 5 wound in a direction opposite to that of the facing.

A backing of cheap, coarse celluloid may be einplc ed and the facing strip may be, and pret bly is a thin ribbon of line cellu loid. To s are the best results the facing ribbon should of such width that only a single joint. crossed by the stylus on each revolution. the line ct union of the edges .iylus and does not cause the ing sound that a joint striking the st lus t nsversely to the line of motion does.

'37 t. use of thin sheet material the grains may be 11 thinner than those made of tubing and conscquontly niore l'lesn e. n

Records made ording are uniform thickness run true. i

in use the phonogram is placed on a manto my invention tnroughout. and

drel sleeve 7 which is laced on the talking machine mandrel 8. ft is then played like any other cylinder record.

claim 1. The process of making cylindrical honograms consisting of forming a bac ing sheet into a cylinder, helically winding a ribbon of celluloid or like rnaterial thereon with its edges abutting, uniting the facing and backing and the edges of the facing, placing the blank thus formed within a die and expanding-the same therein under heat and pressure whereby the blank is given a smooth outer surface.

. 2. The process of making cylindrical phonograms which consists in helically winding a ribbon of celluloid or like material, uniting its edges, placing the blank thus formed within a die and expanding the same therein under heat and pressure.

3. The process of making cylindrical phonograms which consists in softening a ribbon of celluloid or like material with acetone or similar substance, winding the same into a helix, uniting the edges, placing the blank thus formed within a die and expanding the same therein under heat and pressure.

4. The process of making cylindrical phonograms which consists in forming a backing sheet of coarse celluloid into a cylinder, he ically winding a ribbon of celluloid or like material of a finer grade than the backing thereon, uniting the facin backing and edges of the facing of the blan thus formed,

lacing the blank within a die and expandmg the same therein under heat and ressure.

In testimony whereof I have liereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK OOLSEN APPLEGATE.

\Vitnesses HELEN S. LURTON, MARY E. ACKLEY. 

